Freezing company upset by comments

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 4

Freezing company upset by comments

PA Invercargillj Continued comment in the pews media by the Human Rights Commissioner (Mr P. J. Downley) on a ‘pending hearing before the Equal Opportunities Tribunal has been branded by the company involved as injudicious. The case involves complaints to the Human Rights Commission that the Ocean Beach freezing company in Southland has refused to employ three women as butchers on the' daughterboard. The company says that; until separate facilities and| amenities can be provided in, this part of the works, it is not practicable to employ Women on this work. “The Human Rights Commissioner seems intent on placing the company on trial through the press,” said the company’s chairman (Mr G. Trower)” yesterday. “On separate occasions in March and May press releases have been made or interviews given by Mr Downey setting out the commission’s views. Indeed, .in an

article in the ‘Evening Post’| on May 29 he seemed par-; ticularly concerned that the| commission’s investigations had ‘not received the atten tion it deserves’.

“Mr Downey obviously believes the Ocean Beach Freezing Company to be guilty of the allegations,” Mr Trower said. “Equally the company says it has a defence in law, and is prepared to place that defence before the appropriate tribunal.” Mr Trower said the company believed that the proper procedures should be followed in reaching a decision on the case, and it was prepared to do this. “The news media is hardly the place. Mr Downey’s comments are clearly prejudicial and until the hearing, is convened the matter should be regarded as sub judice, as would be the case in every other .type of pending legal action.”

Tn order to keep the whole question of the employment of women at Ocean Beach in some perspective, Mr Trower said the works at

present employed about 90 women on a wide range of work. “The works was the first in the country to employ women on the slaughterboard,” he said.! “There is some irony in the fact that we are now being taken to task by the commission.”